The Last Exorcism
The Last Exorcism
After years of performing “exorcisms” and taking believers’ money, Reverend Marcus travels to rural Louisiana with a film crew so he can dispel what he believes is the myth of demonic possession. The dynamic reverend is certain that this will be another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic but instead comes upon the blood-soaked farm of the Sweetzer family and a true evil he would have never thought imaginable.
LivewireAdmin reviewedOctober 7, 2025
What makes this so compelling isn’t just its scares—it’s the way it dissects the very idea of belief and performance. Presented through the lens of a documentary, the film follows Reverend Cotton Marcus, a disillusioned preacher who’s spent years faking exorcisms for profit. When he invites a documentary crew to expose his tricks, what starts as a cynical stunt turns into a genuinely unsettling descent into something unexplainable.
Patrick Fabian gives a terrific, layered performance as Marcus, walking a fine line between charming showman and quietly haunted man of faith. His skepticism anchors the film early on, giving the story a real-world credibility before the horror creeps in. Ashley Bell is equally impressive as Nell, the possessed teen at the center of it all—her transformation is unnerving and deeply human at once.
The found-footage format works surprisingly well here, lending the movie a grounded authenticity that heightens its tension. It balances eerie stillness with bursts of chaos, and though some may find the ending divisive, I can appreciate the open-ended aspect.
<i>The Last Exorcism<i> isn’t about jump scares or flashy effects—it’s about the thin line between faith and fraud, and what happens when a man who’s faked belief comes face to face with the real thing. For a film that begins with skepticism, it ends with something chillingly absolute.
letterboxd: FilmPhanPA